Thanks to a newly released update, Google Hangouts users on Android can now send video messages to their friends and family members.
The addition of this feature to Hangouts on Android is notable because the iOS version of the app has had video messaging since February 2014. Typically, Google launches new features for its first-party apps on Android first.
That said, the functionality Android users are getting access to today is better than what their counterparts on iOS have been able to use for the past two years.
In contrast to the iOS version of the app, which only allows users to send 360p videos, Hangouts on Android allows users to send videos in full HD.
The timing of the update is also curious because of the fact that Google plans to launch a new video messaging app later this year. Duo, announced at the company’s annual Google I/O developer conference this past May, is set to take advantage of the company’s recent advances in artificial intelligence to offer a new video messaging experience. It’s slated to arrive alongside Allo, the text-based messaging app Google also announced at I/O.
[source]Google Play Store[/source][via]Mashable[/via]
